Community groups and individuals from across New South Wales have been recognised for their efforts promoting mental health and wellness programs in their local communities, for the 2017 Mental Health Matters Awards.

This year’s award winners were announced today during a lunch marking the official launch of Mental Health Month, held in New South Wales Parliament House. [Read more…]

Managing OCD and anxiety through a mix of consulting medical practitioners and attending peer support groups in the community can significantly improve the lives of people living with these conditions says the Chief Executive Officer of WayAhead Elizabeth Priestley.

Ms Priestley’s comments coincide with the start of OCD and Anxiety Awareness Week which runs until Sunday and is being organised by Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria.

With the debate on marriage equality set to dominate the coming days of federal parliament, the constant media reporting of it and dialogue across social media platforms, can become overwhelming, particularly when some views expressed about marriage equality and the LGBTI community are negative and hurtful.

WayAhead’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Statement

Way Ahead acknowledges and actively supports the culturally diverse community we work in. This includes recognising and working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, the LGBTI community, multicultural Australia and people living with a mental health condition, who all contribute significantly to our organisation and society.
WayAhead is committed to acting on these beliefs in a meaningful way through:

Employers and managers should view being a mentally healthy workplace as core to their business success says WayAhead Workplaces Manager, Sharon Leadbetter.

“We know from current evidence that workplaces with mental health and wellness programs are much better able to support, retain and get better results from their staff, regardless if they have a mental health condition during their employment, compared with those without,” said Ms Leadbetter.

Ms Leadbetter believes employers looking to implement a mental health promotion program in their workplace should note the following five things in developing such a program:

WayAhead is celebrating International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).

WayAhead believes IDAHOT is important to the entire New South Wales community because it helps bring attention to issues still being faced by our LGBTI community. It also helps foster a society where LGBTI Australians feel understood and accepted.